Kibishi's POV
Later that night
Rumble! Rumble!
"Ah!" I sat up at the noise of the whole pce rumbling. I gnced around and saw everyone else awake as well—the prisoners, I meant.
I looked at the bed and saw Tao sleeping on me, her arms wrapped around my waist.
"Don't tell me she fell asleep so te..." I whispered, narrowing my eyes in confusion and surprise.
Not only that, but she had slept through that rumble just now—
Rumble!
The whole pce shook once more. Rocks fell from the ceiling as the other prisoners screamed and panicked. This finally woke Tao, who looked around in shock.
"W-what the?!" Tao shouted in fear.
"The whole pce is shaking!" a prisoner yelled.
"That's the third one tonight!" another cried.
Soon, the rumbling eased off, and silence returned to the darkness of the night. My body trembled slightly from the sudden quake, but I held myself together. Slowly, I walked toward the table with the broken knife, leaning on it for support as I panted from all the "excitement" that had just happened.
Tao held onto my arm the whole time, refusing to let go.
She must have been afraid of that shaking. Not that I bmed her—it had come out of nowhere.
"What was that about?" Tao whispered, her arms trembling.
"I don't know. But it seems like it stopped—"
Rumble! Rumble!
The pce shook again, even more violently this time. It sted a few more seconds before settling down. Not only did we feel the shaking, but we heard an explosion in the distance.
"Something's wrong!" I said in panic.
"You mean that explosion just now?!" Tao suggested, still clinging to me.
"Yeah! Things might turn for the worse if—!"
Crash! Rumble!
A loud crash echoed, and the whole pce shook again. This one was shorter, but it made up my mind.
We had to get out of here. Fast!
But I wasn't even sure how—
Static!
"Ngh!" I clutched my chest. It burned as if someone had lit a bonfire inside me. The scars felt like they were on fire, too—like a warning.
Ba-bump!
My vision darkened. It wasn't blindness—no, far from it. It was as if my brain dimmed the light from my eyes, guided by my heart.
I couldn't expin it, but the pain started in my chest, then shot to my head, then my eyes.
I looked at my chest, a major déjà vu from the past. Like before, I saw a fme burning inside me—a light source, a mp shining in the night sky.
I looked at the desk and saw the knife glowing brightly. Some of the chains on me glowed, too. I gnced at Tao—her fme and her chain glowed as well.
This confirmed it. What I had seen back then wasn't normal. Of course, I already knew from the occasional rushes of pain in my head or chest.
Ba-bump!
"N-ngh..." Tao groaned, making me look back at her. Not only that, but I heard her heart racing like mine moments ago.
"T-Tao. Are you okay?!" I asked in worry.
"I-I'm fine!" She clutched her chest. "It's just—your heartbeat surprised me, is all. Another unexpected pain from your heart, right?"
I understood. She must have felt it, too. It was strange, but maybe it was because we were so close.
"R-right. But more importantly, let's—"
Suddenly—
Ba-bump!
I saw it.
Ba-bump!
Something y next to our cell.
Ba-bump!
Yes...
I knew what that thing was. It had been here since earlier today. Its shape, its form—it was none other than the jellyfish-like creature from before.
Its body was smashed inward, bck blood spilling out like ink. My throat dried up, my mind spun at the sight. My teeth ground together as I felt myself slipping.
Ba-bump! Ba-bump!
That thing...
Ba-bump!
That thing was dead.
I didn't care if it was dead. But if something had killed it, then what could it do to a human?
Ba-bump! Ba-bump! Ba-bump!
My heart beat like a drum. Every object glowed—the bars, the bed, the knife, even my own skin. I saw everything beyond the darkness.
One thing was certain—
"I'll protect her..." I said in a deep voice.
"K-kishi—"
Before she could finish, I pulled her closer until we were face to face. Her beautiful eyes stared into mine. I didn't know why I had brought her close at first, but then it hit me.
"Tao, listen. Whatever's out there, they're coming for us next. ALL of us! Stick with me and don't leave my sight, okay? I can't lose you." I whispered sweetly, then smiled gently at her. "Promise me you won't leave my side. Please?"
"K-Ki...shi..." Tao looked shocked by my sudden intensity but slowly nodded, her cheeks reddening. She embraced me tightly. "R-right! I won't leave you alone!"
"Tao..." I reached my free hand to pat her head—
Bam! Bam!
Metal broke, making me pull back.
"Aarrgghhhh!!!" A prisoner screamed from another cell.
Crunch! Crunch!
Something was eating—no, not eating. Eliminating.
Ba-bump!
I sensed its fear from here. A cat-monkey hybrid with cow-like bck-and-white fur chewed on a head, blood dripping from its lips. I heard it's breathing—my senses sharpened by the second.
My eyes burned.
I heard my breath, felt my hands shaking in fear. Of course, I was afraid. These things were monsters. They'd kill and kill and kill and kill—
Kill.
Killkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkill—
Grip!
My head calmed. I looked back—Tao held onto me, trembling but brave. Her presence eased my panic.
Thank you, Tao.
I nodded to myself.
Right!
First, I needed to make sure we escaped.
But it wouldn't be easy. More creatures poured in from the darkness. They must have killed the ones already here.
Why?
The newcomers seemed smarter, instinct-wise. Their hearts raced as they searched for a way to bait something.
That something terrified them.
This was one of my strengths—reading hearts. Even creatures'. It was why I'd survived this long.
But that wasn't important now—
Whoosh!
In a blink, the bars disappeared—no, they disintegrated.
What's happening?!
The cat-like creature sniffed, then stared at my cell in shock. It stopped—
Dash!
All of them charged toward me!
I didn't know why, but one thing was clear—they wanted to kill Tao and me!
"Hey! Kibishi! Tao!" David shouted in fear. I glimpsed his face under the drain—dark skin, braided hair, ragged clothes like ours.
Leap!
One creature lunged at me.
"The dagger!" David yelled as everything slowed.
Time froze. Its cws gleamed, sharp enough to slice through steel. I wanted to dodge, block, do anything—
But I couldn't move.
Bash!
"Reeee!" The creature screeched in pain, colpsing in a pool of bck blood. I turned—Tao stood there, pipe in hand, panting. Her eyes glowed yellow.
"T-Tao—"
"Duck!" she screamed.
I did—
Smash!
A skull crunched as Tao smashed the pipe into another creature's face. Bones cracked; eyes oozed from their sockets.
Step! Step! Step!
Footsteps rushed toward us. Metal screeched.
Smack! Gush!
Blood spilled, flesh spped against walls.
Wham!
A creature smmed into the wall—then, in a fsh, a dagger plunged into its forehead.
David stood there, panting, furious.
"I said use the dagger, damn it!" He yanked the bde free.
"I-I—!"
Wham!
Another sm. A girl with purple short hair, light skin, freckles, and tattered rags stepped forward—Riley.
"N-no need to worry, Shi. It was fear, I bet." She wiped sweat, resting the pipe on her shoulder. "But these things can die."
"Yeah," David agreed. "When the bars vanished, they all charged at you two."
"T-thank you..." I muttered, looking down.
"Don't sweat it. It moved too fast for you." David patted my shoulder.
"But how did we hit them...?" Tao whispered.
"Good question..." David scratched his braids.
A sound made him turn. We followed his gaze—
Drip... drip...
Liquid.
Drip... drip...
A thick fog rolled in. Six glowing eyes pierced through it.
"It's not poison, but we should keep our distance," Tao warned, gripping her pipe.
"Right," we agreed in unison.
The fog dissipated, revealing the creature's face.
Long, spider-like eyes—smallest to rgest. Rotting skin, bat wings, a bear's body, six rhino horns, a devil ray's tail.
This thing was powerful. One wrong move, and we were dead.
Ba-bump!
The fmes inside me burned hotter. The room darkened again—I saw everyone's inner fmes, their life force.
Ba-bump! Ba-bump!
Every heartbeat sent waves of heat to my friends.
Then, the world returned to normal.
"I'm scared, but we have no choice..." David raised his dagger, knees bent, ready to attack.
"Are you crazy?! That thing will rip you apart!" Riley hissed.
Tao stepped forward, sweat dripping.
"T-Tao?"
"When I give the signal, run," she whispered.
"Huh?!"
"No! You'll die!" Riley grabbed her shoulder.
"If we run, it'll chase us. Someone has to distract it," Tao insisted.
"But—!"
Leap!
Tao lunged at the creature.
"That idiot!" David shouted.
"Tao!" I panicked.
"No! Don't go!" David grabbed my shoulder.
"Let me go!"
"But—!"
Tao swung the pipe—
Whack! Break!
It shattered.
"...Huh?" Tao stared in disbelief.
The creature watched, curious.
"No way..." Her voice echoed in the fog.
Pant... pant... pant...
Her breathing synced with my heartbeat.
The creature raised its cw—
Swipe! Gush!
Blood spilled from Tao's mouth. Her eyes rolled back.
Thump!
She colpsed.
"Ah..." My mind went bnk.
Ba-bump!
That was it.
That thing should not exist.
Grab!
I snatched David's dagger.
"W-wait—!" His voice cracked with panic.
I felt a hand reaching out to me, trying to stop me—but I was already too far, slipping from its grip like smoke.
Sprint!
I charged toward the creature, my eyes burning.
I. Must. End. This. Thing.
How dare it touch her!
How dare it hurt Tao!
I sshed at its stomach—
Block!
Its tail deflected the bde effortlessly.
"H-huh?"
Fear returned.
But I wouldn't stop. It was hopeless, stupid, reckless—but Tao needed me!
Stab! Gush!
"Eh?"
The creature's tail pierced my chest—through the scar. Agony erupted, but worse was the realization:
From the look of things, I might have gone ahead without thinking about the consequences again.
The tail withdrew slowly, each inch a fresh agony. My vision swam.
But it couldn't be helped. When it came to someone I cared for... I'd do anything. Give everything. Even if it was reckless. Even if it killed me.
Prrreee!!!
Blood fountained from the wound. Consciousness slipped like sand through fingers.
"Tao! Shi! No! No... Nnnoooooooo!!!!!" Riley's scream echoed as my knees hit stone.
Ba-bump!
Darkness took me.
